Lucentio Hapsberg
"If you can't be beautiful on the outside, how can you even begin to be on the inside!" '' -Lucentio's personal motto Lucentio Hapsburg (née Claus Capet) is one of the main protagonists of the alpha campaign of Contested Legacy/Lineage and a supporting character in the beta campaign. He is a wealthy, fashion-obsessed, vain, selfish, but ultimately well-meaning aristocrat and cleric of Loki with mild-to-severe Daddy and self-esteem issues. History '''Backstory' Born the son of Rhodri and Morwen Capet (a retainer and engineer in the House of Count Hapsberg respectively) Lucentio was abandoned as an infant. As Count Hapsberg greatly dissaproved of fraternizing amongst his subordinates without his prior consent, he had the couple arrested and planned to sentence the child to death. However, for the first and only time in his life Bertholt felt guilty and decided to spare the child exiling Rhodri and Morwen. The couple fled to a small provincial town in the Northern Coalition leaving behind their newborn baby in a handbag. The initial guilt that had driven the Count to spare the child also persuaded him to adopt the child and raise him as his own dubbing him Lucentio, the most aristocratic name he could think of. Early Life and Childhood Lucentio spent much of his childhood tormented by his cruel older brother Chauncey and even crueler father. On one such occasion Chauncey burned Lucentio's beloved pet Rabbit alive. Most of his early years went on like this. Even when in mixed company, his family and other aristocrats would often mock him for his "unrefined personality" and "weak ideals." He thus took solace in the company of the servants in his father's manor-house, befriending many of the wait staff as well as their children. This was how he met Caerdwyn, the daughter of Jons, the Grand Couturier in his father's house. The two were fast friends and spent most of their days together. They especially took great enjoyment in playing dress up with beautiful costumes made by Jons, and it was from his teachings and art that both of them developed a love and appreciation for the sartorial arts. Lucentio's fascination with fashion grew with him, he would spend weeks with Caerdwyn and Jons creating new elaborate works of art. He and Caerdwyn would often have competitions, judged by Jons, to see who could craft the more stylish garment, with Caerdwyn usually winning. This friendly rivalry lasted throughout their adolescence, and well into early adulthood when they started to develop more serious feelings for each other. The two fell madly in love as Caerdwyn was to take her place as her Vice-Grand Couturier, and Lucentio was beginning to earn some esteem with his estranged father. This happiness unfortunately could not last, and their illicit relationship was discovered by Count Hapsberg. Livid, that his son was engaged with one of the common folk Bertholt took action immediately. He ordered Caerdwyn and Jons executed, Caerdwyn was able to escape, with the help of the crime syndicate The Midnight Crew, however Jons was not so lucky as he was guillotined in the courtyard of Chateau Hapsberg. All of the clothes he had made for Lucentio was ordered burned and Lucentio was sent to the seminary to join the Church of Loki declaring that he was "an insignificant fool worthy of less than nothing... ...a spare part." From this day forth Lucentio vowed to make something of himself, wishing to escape the brand of "spare," and possibly create a world in which he and the people he loved could live happily. Time in the Seminary Lucentio's years in the Seminary of Loki were uneventful. Days were intended to be spent studying ancient scripture, but as this was the seminary of Loki the novices instead spent most of their days planning and enacting elaborate pranks and shenanigans. Once he had attained the status of fully fledged cleric Lucentio was sent to serve as the chaplain of Bageis. He did not take his "calling" all that seriously however, and instead spent his chapter's endowment on wine and gambling. It was here that he accrued his unfathomable debt to a multitude of members of the midnight crew. The Death of Empress Euthane Lucentio was attending a performance of the Opera (opera name?) when the Empress' death was announced, slightly incensed that his evening had been interrupted, but still slightly aware of the potential consequences of such a sudden and major death, Lucentio proceeded to the grand funeral procession headed to the imperial capital. It was as a member of this convoy where Lucentio first met his friend and fellow diplomat Colonel Oakley Boughregard. The two met as the procession was beset upon by assailants from the Goblin liberation front. With their skills combined, the duo was able to fend off the revolutionaries until the arrival of a sortie led by General Brassidas. Lucentio and Oakley used their magic to treat what wounded they could as they then entered the Imperial capital of Oresteria. The Imperial Capital Upon arriving in the Oresteria Lucentio was immediately greeted by his "boss" of sorts, the High Cleric of Loki (who they would later find out was actually Loki himself taking on human form as an elaborate joke of sorts), who instructed him of an important summons at the Grand Cathedral, where a mass was to be carried out in remembrance of the Late Empress followed by a discussion regarding her successor. After a hallucinogen-inspired sermon by The Grand Heirophant, two groups mounted the altar. On one side was the Faction of Crown Princess Shiryan, the Empress' daughter from an affair with a baker, and on the other side was the Faction of General Brassidas Plyiades (accompanied by a retinue of aristocrats including High Admiral Antiochus Sergia). Lucentio, wishing to make something of himself and earn the respect of society's elite, chose to throw his initial support behind the Aristocratic faction. Putting up the guise of a servant of the Crown Princess, he would keep Antiochus and Brassidas informed of Shiryan's plans. After successfully deceiving both the Crown Princess and Oakley, the two travellers were offered some publicly subsidized housing as envoys of Shiryan's Faction. They were brought by the chief of the city guard (name?) to The Tugboat. Lucentio was aghast at the apparent measly living accommodations, however he unfortunately had no choice but to settle. Chief Whats-their-face bid them a "passable night" and left with one final warning to stay away from any downtown bars inhabited by members of The Midnight Crew. "Lucentio: Right, now where's my house? Chief: This is your house. Lucentio: ...okay... then where's Oakley's...? Chief: This is also Oakley's. Lucentio: You mean-'' ''Chief: Yes, you're sharing, is that a problem? Lucentio: ...er... no... not at all- *faints*" -Lucentio's reaction to seeing The Tugboat for the first time. The Midnight Crew Lucentio, finding his quarters far too cramped, decided to head out for a night on the town, inviting Oakley to tag along with him. The two headed to one of Oresteria's many entertainment districts to find a suitable pub. Lucentio came across one marked with the Four of Clubs, which he decided to enter. Ordering some wine for himself, he noticed that one corner of the bar was coated in a particularly thick layer of impenetrable darkness, which he approached coming face to face with the leaders of The Midnight Crew. The leaders reminded Lucentio of the colossal debt he owed them. He offered that as a means to pay off his debt he could offer them an in on the bottom floor of the General's rising faction, they considered the idea, on one condition. The head leader Serveus Scipio informed Lucentio that his daughter Hypatia, a student at the local university, had been feeling uneasy lately, she was apparently being followed and harassed by unsavoury characters and Lucentio was asked to look into and potentially put a stop to that. Conceding, Lucentio agreed to set out for the university next morning with Oakley. Croup and Vandemar Lucentio and Oakley's trip to the university began fairly uneventfully, they asked around for Hypatia, were offered pamphlets for some radical new political movements and made their way over to Hypatia's TA office. The duo discovered the door swinging on its hinges and the entire office ransacked. Using his survivalist skills Oakley was able to track the struggle of Hypatia and what appeared to be two humanoid captors. They followed the path to a nearby sewer grate. Lucentio immediately expressed reluctance to delving into "such a ghastly place," only agreeing to enter if Oakley would carry him out of reach of the "icky sewer water." Oakley conceded and the two descended in the sewers. Following an eastern tunnel the two eventually heard the sound of two voices deep in discussion. These belonged to two hired assassins Mr. Croup and Mr. Vandemar, who were debating how best to transport their captive to their client. Casting thaumaturgy Lucentio intended to threaten the hired hands to no avail. Seeing no peaceful alternative, Lucentio and Oakley slew the two demonic henchmen and untied Hypatia. She explained to the two that the one who had ordered her capture was none other than General Brassidas who had been countless unwelcome and unsettling "love notes." Lucentio grew incredibly nervous when she mentioned this causing Hypatia to see through his deception and call him out on his double-crossing. It was at this point that Lucentio realized that supporting Brassidas was not the way to make a name for himself and instead chose to officially side with Shiryan's Faction while feeding The High Admiral false information for as long as he could. The Cold War Double-Crossing Lucentio and Oakley returned Hypatia to her father, for which he was deemed "square... for the time being." It was now that Lucentio began to feed false information to the Admiral and co. But first, Lucentio wanted to see if perhaps a peaceful solution could be reached in making the General a more desirable person. Grabbing his books on High Fashion and High Fashion theory (written by himself) and a few accessories he headed off toward The Grand Fortress. The Makeover Arriving at the gate of Brassidas' Grand Fortress the previously sunny weather suddenly turned sordid and turbulent as Lucentio knocked on the great iron doors. He was let in by Brassidas' automaton servant, Mr. Butlertron, who showed him the way to Brassidas' chambers. Lucentio interupted the general as he was putting some finishing touches on what appeared to be an automaton model of Hypatia. Ignoring that unsettling sight, Lucentio set to work trying to transform the General from Dud to Stud. After several hours of tireless work very little progress was made. Lucentio realized there was not much he could do, so in a last ditch attempt, he threw an elaborate military hat atop the General's greasy hair and fitted him in a dark military dress uniform in order to best hide the plethora of sweat stains. Taking solace in what little improvement he had made, Lucentio headed for home. As he and Oakley left the Fortress they were interrupted by Mr. Butlertron, who requested they bring him along with them, hating his current living conditions. Taking pity on the poor automaton, Lucentio gladly brought him home with them to the tugboat. The next day Lucentio and Oakley wen to report their good news to Crown Princess Shiryan, who was pleased and informed the two that in the coming days they would be throwing a Grand Imperial Ball and Gala to secure the tenuous relationships she held with many powerful factions. Lucentio was placed on the planning committee thanks to his wit, charm, and knowledge of the ins and outs of the aristocracy's bizarre tastes. So he set off home to begin preparation. On the way home however, his and Oakley's journey was intercepted by an imposing and elaborate carriage. The door opened and out stretched a gloved hand which beckoned Lucentio to enter. Count Bertholt von Hapsberg Evacuation of Hypatia's Revolutionaries Mission to the Northern Provinces The CSS Virginia Journey to Dixie Meeting with Governor Trunk The Razing of West Virginia The Fall of Legume's Rebellion Cajun Toad and Big Daddy LeBaton The Sandalwood Years Begin First Encounter with the Northern Coalition Hector and Helena Strubbs Lucentio, much to his horror, has officially made it to Tier 15. May the Gods have mercy on his soul for Helena Strubbs will not. The Council of Twenty Audience with Consul Calgar The Cato Sicarius Insurrection Return to Chateau Lucentio The Gathering of the Juggalos The Heirophant The Death of Chauncey The Ball Shopping Trip Caerdwyn's Kidnapping The Search for Caerdwyn Audience with Count von Hapsberg The Siege of Oresteria Oakley's Departure and the Sammy Fortuna Incident Personality A Dandy through and through, at first glance Lucentio can be assumed to be nothing more than a vapid, vain, apathetic pretty boy with nothing to offer but dry wit and flashy charisma. However, the tolls of war, political conflict, and the love of his friends has sparked much growth in his soul. He very much cares for those close to him and will often go out of his way to protect those he sees as innocent, even if he is a bit reluctant to get his hands and clothes dirty. He truly hates the war and has grown to despise the tyranny of the Empire and all the hardship it has brought upon innocent people. Lucentio feels a particular kinship with the members of the Goblin Liberation front, as he finds their struggle similar to his own at the hands of his adoptive father. In response to the Empire's violence and the nature of war Lucentio has developed a knack for diplomacy and strategy, successfully talking his way out of a good deal of hairy situations. However, he is best known for his impregnable battle strategy "The Lucentio Special" whereby he makes expert use of his charisma and disguise skills to infiltrate enemy territory and bring it crumbling from the top down. His knack for seemingly ridiculous yet undeniably effective schemes has made him a respected strategist and front man for many military and diplomatic operations (At least until Hildorfr managed to get everyone fired). He is respectful, charming, tactful, and efficient. However, aspects of his aristocratic upbringing and vanity still do flare up occasionally in his interactions with his friends and companions. This can be seen in his manipulation of Scarecrow to secure religious followers, his ordering of Atmos to act as his Ragu chef, and dragging around a reluctant Princess on a shopping trip. Lucentio's least savoury characteristics are best exemplified in his minor god complex. Believing that his superior aesthetic capabilities, and store-bought "holy" flaming sword to be a sign from the heavens, Lucentio believes himself to be the earthly patron and prophet of the new religion Dandyism. The fact that the faith has swiftly amassed an ever growing number of followers in a relatively short period of time has also had a fairly large part in boosting Lucentio's ego considerably. He truly believes though, that his faith is bringing good into the world though, so there is some debate as to whether or not he is truly at fault. Relationships Atmos Slibard Oakley Boughregard Woodrow Boughregard Scarecrow Hildorfr Shamash M'Go Count Bertholt von Hapsberg Chauncey Hapsberg Crown Princess Shiryan General Brassidas The Capet Family Caerdwyn Loki Helena Strubbs Hypatia Jones Stats Gallery Category:Userboxes Category:Characters Category:Alpha Campaign Category:Early Heroes Category:Hapsburg